A/N: So don't kill me at the end... I'm giving warning now, it may not end like you expect it to... maybe it's sort of up to you. Just read it, ok?

Summary: Yeah, so it's been a month since Voldy went down and Hermione takes a walk from the Burrow to clear her head. Runs into Malfoy and they end up having a conversation and a... well, you should read to find out, shouldn't you. HG/RW and HG/DM.

Disclaimer: I Claim my Disclaimer's Claim that anything you recognize isn't mine... got that? Me either I'm not JK, that should do it, just in case.

--

"Fine Ron. I'll do whatever you want" I screamed at him.

Luckily we had made our way outside the Burrow so as not to make so much noise in it. Fleur and Bill's new baby boy Pierre Arthur (named after each of their fathers). Ron was the most insensitive bloke I had ever met in my life. But there was something about him, that made my heart flutter. And after reading about deaths in the newspapers all year, and Dumbledore's, we decided life is too short to spend arguing, when we both knew we liked each other. That was after sixth year of course... it's now after 7th year.

"It's not just what I say, it has to be what you say too" he yelled back.

"And I said 'Fine, I'll do it', what else do you want from me" I yelled backed.

"I want to know what's wrong, isn't that what you wanted from me Hermione?" He said angrily, but lowering his voice.

"I- I- I can't do this right now, I'm leaving" I said upset.

I apparated away, knowing he couldn't follow. Now that life was returning back to normal, you couldn't apparate without a license. Anyone who had yet to pass the test but were of age to do so had been allowed after sixth year ended. The Ministry said they couldn't be bogged down with trying to find safe moments and places for people to apparate.

But Harry defeated Voldermort last month and all war time rules were gone. The wizarding world was back to normal. McGonagall said people and parents who hadn't come last year were owling her to come back and finish there schooling. Fred and George had customers again. The Prophet was back to telling horrible stories about people that weren't true. I actually prefer it that way. I know, I know- why would I do that? Because, wouldn't you take that over 'horrible stories about people that were true'.'Exactly.

My apparating landed me in Diagon Alley. Right in front of the Leaky Cauldron. I stepped in. It had a few people in it. A little compared to the last few times I was in there, people were still celebrating Harry's victory over Voldermort two weeks later. But tonight, the eve of the one month anniversary of his victory, these people were probably just the guests spending the night, down for a late night drink.

I sat at the bar. Tom walked over.

"If it isn't Hermione Granger"

He said this a little too loud for the distance between us, but it was for the desired effect of getting those in the bar to look in my direction.

"THE Hermione Granger? War hero, friend of Harry Potter, and dating Ron Weasley Hermione Granger?" someone said loudly.

"Yes, that's me, and if you don't mind I'd like to just-" I started to say but was cut off.

The few people in the bar made there way over to me to shake my hand, and pat my back, and offer me drinks. I shook the hands, smiled at the pats, and declined the drinks, and then told them:

"I'd just like to have a nice quiet drink, which I'll buy with my own money." I said kindly, yet firm.

Eventually they disbanded reluctantly with some help from Tom.

"Come on you heard the lady, be like that bloke over there," I actually looked to see who he was talking about, there was someone with a hood on and back turned having a drink. "And give her some space. M-ove on, shove off." Tom said shooing away the same people he caused to attack me in the first place.

"Thanks, let me get a butterbeer Tom" I asked.

"No problem it's on the house." He said.

"Really, I can pay for it" I told him.

"Really Granger, now you can't even take a free butterbeer?" a voice drawled from behind me. I turned to see the man who had just been sitting down.

"Draco Malfoy, what do I owe the displeasure?" I said as I faced him.

Malfoy turned into a spy for us after Voldermort killed Snape. The whole Ministry had been looking for him for months, and on Valentine's day he strolls up to Hogwarts gates and asks us to just give him a chance to speak. We did so- reluctantly; and after he told us all he could, we gave him the protection of the Order of the Phoenix. Not everyone was willing to forgive him (Ron, Moody) but they had to admit his information was useful. And we told him, to stay inside during the final battle, but he entered it anyways. He saved Harry's life. Bellatrix almost caught Harry with Avada Kedava but Draco pushed his aunt's hand and the shot missed. And just when she was about to aim at Draco instead, Neville caught her with Crucio. A fitting scenario wouldn't you say? Anyways, I'm one of the few people who gave him a chance earlier than others. I never felt comfortable enough to just call him Draco, so I took to calling him his full name. As you can see, he still calls me Granger.

"Well I saw you getting so much attention, and I know how much you hate attention like that, so I thought I'd come and make your night and grace you with my presence." He answered with a smirk.

"Well you've done your good deed for the day you can go back to your drink." I said and turned back around.

"Come now Granger, what has you down here at this time of night, and alone at that?" He questioned.

"I just fancied a walk; I can take those, can't I?" I said not turning back to face him and took a sip of butterbeer.

"Of course, I just can't remember a time in recent years, which you weren't in the presence of Potter or Weasley." He pointed out. "Trouble in paradise?" He added.

"Just go away Draco Malfoy" I said in the same way Tom had said my name earlier.

"THE Draco Malfoy? Savior of Harry Potter, Spy for the light, and the only surviving traitor of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, Draco Malfoy?" someone said again.

The same people who had made there way over to see me were now making there way towards Draco. I grabbed my butterbeer and made a quick exit as the crowd started to shake Draco's hand.

I laughed once I was outside. I drained the rest of my butterbeer and started to walk. If anything, leaving the Burrow was worth it if it only for that moment. I was about to just apparate back to the Burrow and confront what I left when I heard footsteps behind me.

"Very funny Granger" I heard Draco Malfoy drawl angrily.

"Yes, I thought so too, glad to see you agreed." I replied.

"Seriously, what brings you out here?" He asked again.

"I just needed some time to clear my head that's all" I assured him

"Really? About what? What's got Granger in a knot?" He asked.

"Why do you care, where is this coming from Mal- Draco Malfoy?" I asked pissed.

"Getting to you, am I? Almost slipped and called me Malfoy" He quipped.

"Yes. You are. Why don't you just go away and leave me alone?" I screamed at him.

"I don't want to go away, I'm tired of living the bored good guy life, and here you are to take some of the pressure off" He replied in his same drawling voice.

"I'm not here to be one of your little targets, I spent six years at Hogwarts being that, I'm not about to go back now" I yelled at him. "And what would you know about, being good, the world's only known about your good side a month, before then you were still a wanted criminal. I thought you wanted a good life?"

"Yeah well, what good is it when you're alone?" He said seriously.

"Where are your friends?" I asked no longer screaming.

"What friends? I don't want them for friends anymore; to be honest they were just necessities to make life easier." He admitted.

"Listen this is all really touching, but I have my own problems to deal with, so if you don't mind-" I started.

"Ok then, you tell me about your problems, and then I'll tell you about mine and maybe we can… help each other out." He drawled, stumbling on the last part.

"You want to help me? Draco Malfoy wants to help me? I must still be in my bed" I remarked.

"I never knew you fancied yourself such a comedian Granger. Do we have a deal?" He asked.

"You're not going to leave me alone otherwise are you?" I asked.

"No, and could I care less about the apparation laws, so don't get any ideas." He drawled.

"Fine, should I go first, or do you want too?" I said as we stopped walking and I conjured a chair to sit on, right in the middle of the empty night street.

"You can go first, so what's got your wand in a knot" He said as he conjured a chair for himself next to mine.

"Ron just asked me to marry him" I stated plainly.

"Well that was an unexpected answer, but it wasn't an unexpected surprise" He remarked.

"How do you mean?" I questioned.

"How long have you two been going out; at least third year right?" He assumed.

"No. Not even close, we got together at the end of sixth year." I told him.

"Really? You mean after all the stuff you guys went through you only started dating last year. I know Weasley is a little slow on the uptake, but I thought you probably just told him you two would be going out" He drawled.

"What? Why would you think that?" I asked curiously.

"Come now Granger, you've always been a bossy know it all." He said simply.

"I think I'm done here" I said about to get up. But he grabbed my wrist.

"Ok, I'm sorry, didn't know it was such a touchy subject. So the Weasel-" He started.

"Don't call him that" I said giving him a dirty look.

"Ok, so Weasley asked you to marry him, you must be happy right?" He asked.

"No. Well yes- I am but… it's just- just that he did it stupidly." I finished lamely.

"Ha. Sorry but I'm not surprised, this is Weasley we're talking about" He drawled.

"You don't know Ron like I do, so don't judge" I barked at him.

"So you mean to tell me that Weasley impresses you with hitherto unsuspected magical skills when no one's looking?" He asked.

I laughed as I remembered Fred had said the same thing to Ron.

"Aha, I'm right aren't I?" He asked eagerly.

"Yes. I mean No, it's just Fred said the same thing to him once. It made me laugh." I replied with a smile.

"Oh, those are one of his twin brothers, right?" He asked.

"Yeah, they're always getting him. He always tries to get them back, but never succeeds, it's a lost cause." I admitted.

"Nice to know that. But really, how did he ask you, that it was so stupid?" He questioned.

I knew I was turning red. Very red. It was the reason why I didn't want to enter into the conversation in the first place.

"He asked while we were… working on something else" I said, hurrying the last part.

"So maybe he tried to surprise you… wait a minute, what was the something else?" He asked with a knowing drawl.

-- Flashback--

"Gods this is good. (moans)"

"Sshhh Ron, your (moans) family is downstairs"

"Don't… talk… about… family…"

"Then… shut… up…" This was good though…

"(moans) But…"

"…"

"Marry… Me…"

"WHAT" I said stopping and pushing him off me.

--End Flashback--

"We were… that is to say… what does it matter? Just understand it wasn't the time to announce a marriage proposal." I replied feeling the redness over my face.

"Ha, he asked while you guys were shagging? What a-"

"Watch it" I said while brandishing my wand and pointing it at him.

"Ok, calm down. So what, who cares how he asked you? He asked you, isn't that all that really matters?" He asked.

"That's what he seemed to think also. But it's not… not how I pictured it happening. I never imagined that when someone proposed to me it would be while we were shagging- as you put it. It was supposed to be nice and elegant. Or romantic yet still spontaneous..." I said dreamily.

"No wonder you guys are together" he drawled. "You're both a lost cause." He finished.

"What do you mean?" I asked annoyed.

"Can you see yourself spending the rest of your life with Weasley, not that I understand why you would want too-" He started but I cut him off.

"Yes of course I do." I said, clearly letting him know that I want to.

"Then you were setting yourself up for disappointment. You yourself just admitted in your own way that he's not the most dazzling person, but you expected all that romantic stuff in a marriage proposal. Now who sounds lost?" He drawled.

I hated to admit it, but he did have a point. It's the same point Ginny makes all the time, 'Its Ron, what do you expect?'

"You sound like Ginny. Every time he gets me mad, she reminds me that Ron has been doing that for seven years, if you're expecting a change it's not going to come overnight. But I hoped he was making progress, I guess not" I replied sadly.

"Yeah well, even I wouldn't propose like that- even as a joke. But I'm assuming you love him don't you?" He asked with a slight grimace on his face.

"Yes I do. I always will. And a bad proposal won't change that I suppose." I replied.

"Aren't you glad I bothered you now Granger?" He asked.

"I guess your presence hasn't been all bad" I admitted.

"Good now it's my turn. And you have to help me." He drawled.

"Ok, why are you alone?" I asked him.

"I don't know. It's like I'm stuck in between worlds. I don't want anything to do with my old life. Anything. But this new life of good isn't for me either. What do you suggest?" He asked me.

"I don't know, it sounds like you need another new life. Maybe you should get away for a while" I told him.

"And do what? I haven't had 'real' parents for a long time. Snape was the next closest thing and he's gone. I didn't even finish Hogwarts- and I'm not going back, I never liked school." he vented.

"There has to be something you wouldn't mind doing with your life?" I quizzed.

"Nope can't think of a thing" He replied.

"Quidditch?"

"No. I wasn't even the best at Hogwarts, that was Potter."

"Auror?"

"Me? I could see that happening Granger, me risking my life to find the rest of the Death Eaters I betrayed. No thanks." He drawled.

"Healer, Teacher, Curse Breaker?" I suggested.

"They would all take more school. You're naming jobs, I have money, and I don't need a job." He complained.

"Then I don't know. You say you want friends but you're not going to make true friends like what I've got living in the Leaky Cauldron, or not going back to school, or not getting a job. You'll never know who's being real with you- who's liking you for your money or liking you because of who you are. What you need to do Draco Malfoy, is to start over from scratch." I told him.

He gave me a funny look. I didn't know what it meant. Then he stared up the empty street in front of us apparently deep in thought. Then he turned to me.

"You're right. As long as I have money, I won't work. Plus as a Malfoy, I've always been told I didn't have to work, so I have to get over that. And if I don't finish school, I'll just be nothing but a war hero the rest of my life." He stated.

"What's the matter with the war hero part?" I asked.

"Nothing, I just don't want that to be the only thing I'm known as. There's more to life than that and I'm going to find it. And I'm going to start in five minutes." He drawled.

"Five minutes?" I quizzed.

"Yes, that's when it will be midnight, and officially a brand new day." He replied.

"Yeah and why not start you're new life on the one month anniversary of Voldermorts death?" I quipped.

"That's just coincidence." He stated.

We sat there silently for a minute. Then he spoke.

"Did you answer Weasley?" He asked me.

--Flashback-

"Blimey if I knew you were going to stop I would've waited." He said with a lop-sided grin.

"Ron, this isn't a joke." I said hurrying to put on my clothes. How did my panties end up on the window sill?

"Come on Hermione I'm serious." He said realizing I was dressing, and he started doing the same.

"And I'm leaving" I said as I buttoned my blouse.

"No. Aren't you even going to answer me? I love you." He said pulling up his pants leg.

I grabbed my jacket and left out the door. He came after me as I headed down the stairs. The whole way down he kept asking me what the answer was. We made it outside.

"Fine Ron. I'll do whatever you want" I screamed

--End Flashback--

"Sort of. I stopped… shagging, and got dressed. I started to leave without saying much. He followed me down the stairs. He grabbed and stopped me at the doorway. We started to argue, but left when we realized the noise we were making. As I got outside, I just screamed 'Fine, I'd do whatever.' We argued a bit more and then I disapparated."

"Here I am wondering about you, but it's Weasley I should be feeling bad for" He drawled with a smirk.

"Why?"

"You think you got it hard marrying Weasley. It can't be easy marrying Hermione." He said simply shocking me.

It was the first time he had ever said my first name. It was… weird.

"Aren't you forgetting Granger" I said unbelievingly

"No, before I leave the old Draco I wanted him to do something for you to remember him by" He drawled.

"Well I'll certainly remember that." I said in assuring way.

"And this too"

Draco Malfoy leaned over and kissed me… Hermione Granger, war hero, etc... On the mouth… with passion. I was momentarily stunned. But I caught myself, as I did, he pulled away.

"Take it easy on the Weasel, he's perfect for you. In my new life, where I won't care if you're a blood traitor, or mud- I mean muggleborn, I'll look for my own Hermione Granger and Harry Potter and even my own Weasley's; true friends I can count on till the end. It was nice knowing you."

And before I could respond, he disapparated. It was 12 o'clock.

I got rid of the chairs and started to walk through the empty muggle streets. When I had realized Ron might be getting worried I disapparated back to the Burrow. Ron was in the same spot I left him. Sitting down at the foot of the door. He didn't even look up.

"Ron?" I asked uncertainly.

He jerked awake. He was asleep. Figures.

"Hermione, you're back, are you ok, it's late, I was getting worried" He rambled rubbing his eyes.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I just needed to get away" I replied.

"Away? Away where?" He quizzed.

"I went to the Leaky Cauldron and saw Draco Malfoy" I said.

"Yeah…"

I knew Ron still wasn't all that fond of him, but he could now tolerate most situations involving him.

"We talked actually. Made me realize some things." I said.

"Like what?" He said skeptically.

"That I want to marry you" I said simply.

"Really? You mean it."

"Yes Ronald Billius Weasley, I Hermione Jane Granger want to marry you."

He had winced at the sound of his middle name, but got ecstatic as I finished the sentence and picked me up and kissed me. Then he put me down and dragged me in the house by my arm.

"Ron wait, what-" I said trying not to fall.

His family was still in the living room. Harry included. They looked as Ron pulled me to the center.

"Ron what are you-" I started.

"Wait. Everybody I have news." He said as he dipped to one knee. "I asked Hermione to marry me and she said yes."

They all looked happy and shocked.

"Wait and I want to do it again; a bit more properly this time. Plus I like how it sounds." He said with a grin as he pulled out the ring box and opened it. "Hermione will you marry me?"

"Yes Ron, I'll marry you" I said tears falling out my eyes as he placed the ring on my finger.

And we hugged again. And the rest of the family came and hugged us and we toasted it and all that jazz. And an hour and a half later we had made our way up to his room. No not to shag, but just to lie down and enjoy the moment.

"What did Mal- Draco say that made you change your mind?" He asked as I lay in his arms.

"He just reminded me why I love you." I said.

"How?"

"He just pointed out that the things I was mad about weren't really going to matter in the long run."

"Really?"

"Yeah, and then I gave him some advice that pretty much boiled down to he needed to start over."

"And how did he take that?" Ron quizzed.

"Quite well. He said in his new life he wouldn't care if someone was a blood traitor, a muggleborn or simply a muggle. And that he'd find his own Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and his own Weasley's; people he could call true friends. Then he apparated away." I explained.

"Wow. I didn't know he was so deep." Ron replied.

"Neither did I. But he has one thing wrong." I said smiling.

"What's that?" He asked.

"He'll have to find his own Hermione Granger-Weasley." I said and gave him a quick kiss.

"Yes though I'm sure Malfoy will be on the end of her name." He pointed out.

"Too bad for her." I said.

Ron kissed me. A deep, passionate, caring kiss, that said I could do this forever. And though for a second earlier, I thought Draco's kiss would linger… I was being silly. No one could kiss me the way Ron does, and to that I'm grateful.

Fine then, whatever I want.

--

Two Hours Later

"Hermione?"

"Yes Ron?"

"Can we finish what we started earlier?"

"I thought you'd never ask"

Fine then, whatever we want…

The Ending

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Don't kill me, for those of you who found this in the DM/HG section and got a HG/RW ending, good news for you a bit further down. For those who found it in randomly or in the HG/RW section how'd you like it? Either way keep reading…

I thought this was ok. Then again… I wrote it… perhaps you should tell me and I'll feel better about my assessment. While writing that review (thanx in advance) could you please leave an opinion as to whether I should keep this as a HG/RW? I know that's what it is, but Draco does have ample face time… even a kiss.

Sometimes I envision a later life to see Draco's future; but this future doesn't have much of a plot, sort of defeats the purpose. If you read my profile you know I'm all about Ron/Hermione but can vary it up if pushed. Of course if you read it, you know that means that Ron would have to die… or happen upon some other very unfortunate event- because Hermione is made for Ron and no one else if he's alive. So let me know people. :)